Mammography

DRA cuts prove three times worse than expectedNEMA releases animal PET standardCarestream taps into mobile devicesHologic readies breast density tool for market

Tomographic ultrasound imaging on 4D volumes of fetal chest obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation and color Doppler shows good retrieval of diagnostic cardiac planes in fetuses with ventricular septal defects, according to an Italian study.

Throughout its 30-year history, Diagnostic Imaging has tracked issues surrounding the adoption and development of new imaging technology. Rarely, however, have we looked closely at the question of the learning curves associated with this new technology. This month marks an exception. Our cover story on digital mammography recall rates (page 30) explores why some facilities may be seeing a jump, albeit temporary, in digital mammography recalls and suggests some solutions for keeping those rates down.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in adult women. One woman in 11 will contract the disease during her lifetime. The primary goal of treatment is cure, through surgery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Surgical management options include breast conservation, mastectomy, and palliative treatment.

As imaging centers convert their workflow to capitalize on the benefits of digital mammography, some radiologists are concerned about the possibility of an increase in the number of patients recalled. Discrepancies between prior screen-film exams and current digital images lead many radiologists to act "better safe than sorry" in their diagnostic interpretation of full-field digital mammography images.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in adult women. One woman in 11 will contract the disease during her lifetime. The primary goal of treatment is cure, through surgery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Surgical management options include breast conservation, mastectomy, and palliative treatment.

Amicas revs upiCAD cruises to record 2QNeoprobe revenues riseVital launches CME efforts

A recent advisory by the FDA urging breast imaging facilities to ensure compatibility between full-field digital mammography systems and PACS exposed an ongoing problem: Interoperability issues persist as some vendors fail to comply with healthcare digital imaging standards.

FDG-PET/CT's power for staging and restaging breast cancer is attracting attention. It could also detect recurrence in more than two-thirds of these patients and change the management plan in up to a third, according to German investigators.

The FDA is considering a national registry for thermal ablation treatment of breast cancer. The proposed registry would compile information on all thermal ablation devices and therapies for small carcinomas and address inconsistencies that potentially diminish the value of previously published feasibility protocols.

PACS may obscure FFDM dataSiemens reports 3Q growthVelocity updates treatment planningItaly sets CT colonography project

Women with diagnostic mammograms flagged as probably benign usually undergo short-interval follow-up. But at 12 months, this second look may not boost cancer detection.

It is a safe bet that conventional mammography will give way to 3D imaging and other advanced technologies in the not-too-distant future. The gamble lies in picking which technology will emerge the clear winner as the primary screening tool for breast cancer: digital breast tomosynthesis or dedicated breast CT.

Now that computer-aided detection has become part of routine clinical work for cancer screening in mammograms and is being applied in the differential diagnosis of cancer in the lung and colon, it's only a matter of time before it rates as the standard of care for diagnostic examinations in daily clinical work.

Temporal subtractions and nodule detection are the most common computer-aided detection systems available. Until recently, however, no report has described these CAD routines being integrated into PACS.

The rate of decline in breast cancer rates over the past decade has been smaller among African American women than the general population, despite improved screening techniques.

Groundbreaking research has confirmed that Pittsburgh Compound B binds to the beta-amyloid deposits in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The finding is a major step toward an early, definitive diagnosis of the memory-stealing condition.

The feasibility of hub-and-spoke mammography, in which breast imaging studies are performed at satellite centers and read at a centralized reading station, has been confirmed through an evaluation of 30,000 cases and three years of clinical experience. The Columbia University study finds the transmission and interpretation of digital mammography exams to and from a remote location through commercially available high-speed cable Internet access is safe, reliable, and cost-effective.

A national registry for thermal ablation treatment for breast cancer is under consideration by the FDA. The agency opened a six-month public comment period this week on the proposed registry, which would compile information on all thermal ablation devices and therapies for small carcinomas.

FDA moves to ease digital mammography regulation Software firm reaches into IRRadNet falls short on vote to reincorporateACR taps Thrall as chair, names other officers

omputer-aided detection and diag-nosis tools were showcased at the European Congress of Radiology's "ESR meets Germany" session. Speakers highlighted four key clinical areas where advances could make a real difference to diagnostic decision making.

Aquilion steps out in Vegas NightHawk profits down, plans stock buybackThin-client firm readies 3D for SIIM meetingVolcano revenues riseMRS firm releases mammography software

Excitement is never in short supply in Las Vegas. But a new session at the 2008 Stanford International Multidetector-Row CT Symposium may give the casinos, cocktail lounges, and Canadian circus acts a run for their money.

GE plans Brazilian X-ray plant Hologic snags multiple FFDM order Hologic partners with MindrayMedrad prepares educational program for ISMRMNightHawk Radiology returns to Nasdaq compliance

Computer-aided detection may lend an extra punch to the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism with multislice and dual-energy CT scanners. Studies by French and German researchers have shown it helps detect small, hard-to-spot clots lodged in the lungs' periphery.